A Christmas to Remember
by ShortySC22
Summary: In "Road Trip Tales," Bass started to tell Charlie about the Christmas he spent in Chicago. Here is what happened when Miles and Bass went to Chicago for Christmas.
1. Chapter 1

**I wanted to post this before episode 2x13 aired and might negate some assumptions I had made. I don't own Revolution, this is just for fun, enjoy!**

Bass still isn't sure what made him change his mind. He was all set, in fact, looking forward to it, to spend his leave down in Miami. Somewhere nice and warm, lots of hot girls, tons of bars and clubs. He'd be able to drown his sorrows, get laid, and forget about his miserable existence. He had even tried to get Miles to agree and come with him. At first Miles seemed to like the idea but then had changed his mind and decided to go to Chicago. For about a week, Bass was still set on Miami and Miles was ready to go to Chicago on his own. Next thing he knew, there was a ticket in his name on his bed heading to spend two weeks in Chicago. Not exactly his ideal vacation spot. Especially since he knew Miles would never stay anywhere but at his brother's house and this would be one awkward vacation, with Rachel and Miles doing their best to avoid each other while at the same time pretend there was nothing going on, a newborn who apparently screamed a lot, Ben and his workaholic tendencies, and then toddler Charlie.

When he pressed Miles on what had happened, he knew he had been tricked. Miles got him drunk and then convinced him to buy the ticket, probably without even telling Rachel and Ben. Ben wouldn't be shocked, he knew that Miles and Bass spent all of their time together, but Bass wasn't sure how much he trusted Rachel. He pressed further and found out that the reason Miles was even going to Chicago? Not Ben, though Ben did try to convince Miles, but how can you say no to a crying three year old? Charlie apparently snuck on the phone and begged for Uncle Miles to come visit and only when he said yes did she stop crying.

Which is how Bass found himself accompanying Miles back to Chicago to Ben's house in the suburbs. After Miles rang the doorbell, Bass turned around the picturesque neighborhood, trying to decide if it was worth it to try and escape. A little too late, he thought, as Rachel greeted them at the door with Danny in her arms and a Charlie bounding down the stairs at lightning speed.

"Miles," Rachel greeted formally and then surprised, "Bass. Ben didn't mention you'd be joining us. Please come in, it's cold out." She stepped aside as they walked in. Charlie must have been on the third step or higher and flew towards Miles. It was a good thing Miles had lightning reflexes and that he had already dropped his bags on the ground. Her little arms wrapped around Miles's neck and Bass laughed at the sight of Miles being almost knocked over by a three year old. Charlie looked up from Miles to see Bass and pointed, "Mommy, who's that?"

"That's Uncle Miles's friend Bass. He's going to be staying with us for Christmas," Rachel answered as she moved back towards the stairs. Miles put Charlie down but found that she still didn't want to let go and grabbed on to his index finger. Charlie reminded him of his sisters when they were that age.

"Hello Charlotte, it's my pleasure to meet you," he said calling her Charlotte after hearing from Miles how she preferred to be called Charlie lately, just to see her reaction, as he kneeled down and reached out to shake her hand, as though he was a gallant prince and she was the princess. She laughed at first, shaking her head next.

"Not Charlotte. Charlie. Charlie. Charlie. Time to play!" she shouted, trying to drag Miles away towards the basement. Bass wasn't sure whether he should follow Miles, who was silently pleading with him. It had been a long time since either of them had been left alone with a small child and Bass had more experience in dealing with young girls, even for all of the time Miles had spent at his house growing up. Of course, it had been a long time since his sisters were that age and technology had changed so much.

"Bass, you can follow me upstairs. I wasn't expecting you, but we had set the guest room up for Miles. We have the pullout couch in the basement or we can set up an air mattress in the guest room for you, where ever you think you'll be more comfortable. I'm going to put Danny down for his nap," Rachel said motioning him to follow her upstairs.

He took his time up the stairs, glancing at the smiling portraits of a happy family. He remembered his own house with the smiling pictures around. Of course, his parents weren't ones for formality, instead their pictures were candid shots. Once upstairs, Rachel pointed the bathroom straight ahead, her bedroom to the left and the other three bedrooms on the right. Danny's bedroom was the closest to their bedroom, the guest bedroom was in the middle and Charlie's bedroom as at the end of the hallway. Great, he thought, he either had the choice of sleeping in the basement, where he knew he would be able to hear the footsteps from the first floor in the morning or he could stay upstairs on an air mattress and be subjected to children's screams all night. Granted, he wasn't quite sure if he and Miles still woke up with night terrors, he'd just have to remember to either drink enough or take sleeping pills. He opened the guest room, which smelled of old people and Febreeze, not that he was really surprised. It was a standard guest room, he put their bags down and went off to rescue Miles in the basement. He suspected Miles wasn't used to the high energy and at least with both of them they could split Charlie's attention.

He heard music coming from the basement and when he heard "It's Raining Men," he could only imagine what was going on downstairs. When he saw a bouncy Charlie and confused Miles attempting to dance along with the screen, he couldn't help but burst out laughing. Charlie, smart kid, paused the game and hit Bass on his arm. Of course it didn't hurt, but it was the principle of it.

"Hey, what's that for?"

"No laughing! You made me mess up! Here, you play too!" she told him as she handed him a Wiimote and Miles gave him a look that said to shut up and do what she says. Bass forgot for a minute there how bossy little girls can be but definitely didn't want to push his luck as a guest in their house. Several terrible pop songs later, songs he heard often when out at the bars trying to pick up college girls, Rachel called them upstairs for dinner. Somehow Charlie still had energy to run up the stairs, but Bass just shrugged at Miles and let Miles chase after her.

Upstairs, Rachel had set out dinner on the table, fried breaded chicken, mac'n'cheese in Spongebob shapes (which Charlie screamed in glee about how much she LOVED Spongebob), and lima beans. "Help yourselves. There's milk, water, soda and beer in the fridge. Glasses are in the cabinet to the right of the stove," she said as she scooped out some food and cut up Charlie's food. Bass was glad to have a homecooked meal and when Miles held up the Budweiser bottle from the fridge, he nodded. If Miles was drinking, then it was acceptable for him to drink too.

Charlie chattered away during dinner, constantly looking towards her precious Uncle Miles. He felt a pang in his heart as he realized this was the closest he'd come to having nieces and nephews, unless Miles actually ended up having any children. Then he'd be Uncle Bass for sure. Why did he agree to come with Miles? He could have just spent it in Miami, wallowing in his own sorrows and not dragging down the Matheson family with him. Miles turned from Charlie and glanced at him, noticing something was wrong. He shook his head, which meant not now and they'd talk later. It was nice to have a friend who could read you and you didn't always need verbalize everything, especially when a three year old has no filter and will repeat everything to her parents. Charlie then declared it was time to watch a movie, her choice, of course. Bass hoped she'd at least pick something relatively interesting and when she chose _Mulan,_ he smiled. It was Angela's favorite movie so he had watched it a million times and knew all the words to all of the songs, not that he would admit that to Miles of course.

Not surprisingly, Charlie fell asleep in the middle of the movie snuggled against Miles. Bass got up, turned off the DVD player, and scooped Charlie carefully off of Miles to carry her upstairs. She stirred only slightly but not enough to wake up. Miles followed Bass upstairs and Bass tucked Charlie in. When they walked out of her room, turning the lights off behind them, Bass bumped into Rachel.

"Do you mind that we just put her to bed? Does she need to change into PJs?" Bass asked Rachel, really just wanting to go grab a beer and watch whatever was on ESPN, probably coverage about tomorrow's football games.

"She'll be fine, thanks for entertaining her this afternoon. It's been a little crazy around here lately," Rachel said and Bass noticed just how tired she looked. And that she kept looking at him and avoiding making any eye contact with Miles. Miles kept his eyes down too, but then asked, "Ben coming home soon?"

"He'll be home late, don't worry about waiting up for him. I do have a favor to ask of you two tomorrow."

"Depends," Bass answered.

"Do you mind putting up the Christmas lights? Charlie keeps insisting Santa won't be able to know it's our house without them. Ben just had to tell her that," Rachel sighed.

"Good ole Benjamin. Sure, we'll do it. Umm, I think we're going to just have some beers downstairs if you want to join us," Miles said and Bass made a face. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to hash out his issues with Rachel, not when he didn't trust her entirely or trust whatever was going on between her and Miles. He thought whatever it was, it was over, so now all they did was make everything awkward. Luckily, Rachel politely declined and said she was going to go to bed but there was beer in the fridge and more out in the garage. Good, Bass thought, he only saw a six pack in the fridge and they had already gone through some with dinner.

When he went to the garage, flicking the lights on, he only found another six pack. Not nearly enough beer for him and Miles. He walked past Miles, waving the rental car keys and walking back out. Miles understood and followed, since he was the one who knew where the closest place to pick up beer. They quickly went in, grabbed a case of 30 cans, paid and headed back. Bass settled in while Miles put all of the beer in the fridge. He waited patiently for the questions he knew were coming.

"Alright, are you going to tell me or do I have to drag it out of you?" Miles asked.

"It's just. I'm glad I came, ok? But, being here, seeing your happy family, it's hit me. I don't have this anymore. I won't get to have it," Bass sighed, taking a long drink from his beer.

"Bass, stop. You are my family. My family is your family. Charlie's three, you can teach her to say Uncle Bass and it will be true. Hey tomorrow, we'll go out and get a digital camera. Ben says Charlie's a ham for the camera and loves to pose. Or if you want to just sit here and watch football and drink beer, be my guest. Just remember, we're in Ben's house," Miles said as he flipped on the TV.

"Yeah, you need to stop making it awkward between you and Rachel. Seriously dude, you turned her down, remember? And you are in your brother's house, it's his wife. He's going to notice if he doesn't already know. Let's go to a bar tomorrow and watch the games after we put up the lights," Bass suggested, not wanting to spend his entire two weeks stuck in the house. He turned his attention back to ESPN to see what the matchups were for tomorrow. At least Indianapolis was playing Jacksonville, it'd be a good game to find some girl to saddle up with at the bar, lots of chance for the Colts to score and to get a kiss. Of course it was an early game, just meant that they'd have to get to the bar in time for lunch. Good luck explaining that one to Rachel. Miles started flipping the channels to see if anything else good was on, but seriously who stayed in on a Saturday night? Not him, that's for sure. The flight had taken a lot out of them and he was tired much earlier than normal. After they finished their third or fourth beer, Ben walked in. Bass glanced at the clock but wasn't really paying attention to the time.

"Miles, Bass," Ben said, "good to see both of you. Sorry, it's been really crazy in the office."

"Yeah so crazy you're working this late on a Saturday?" Miles asked. Miles still wasn't sure what his brother was doing lately. Bass had asked once and all Miles would say was some post-doc research at the university but Miles himself had no idea and even if Ben had explained, there's no way Miles would have understood exactly what he did.

"Mostly so I can have a few days off between Christmas and New Year's, especially with both of you here. I'm glad you were both able to make it," Ben said sincerely.

"You knew I couldn't say no to a crying Charlie," Miles retorted as Ben smirked at that.

"And Bass's excuse?" Ben asked.

"Miles got me drunk and I bought a non-refundable ticket," he said. He missed this. As much Miles was his brother, Ben was there just as much when they were kids. Usually trying to keep them from blowing up the house or setting it on fire, Miles really liked fire, but at the same time Ben would also help keep them from getting in more trouble than they deserved.

"Either way, you're here now. Any plans for tomorrow?"

"Rachel wants us to put up the Christmas lights. But do you mind if we go to a bar and watch the football game?" Bass asked.

"What Bass means is he wants to go hit on some girls," Miles added.

"You two go off, just be home for dinner. I think Rachel wanted to make a pork roast. I'll just tell her you wanted us to have some family time. I haven't been home lately, what with work and all."

"Rachel looks pretty stressed out herself," Bass added, hoping Ben had already noticed.

"I know. Which is why I'm hoping that the two of you can help out this week with Charlie. She doesn't mind being a big sister but you know Christmas is a special time. Look around, we haven't even gotten the tree and Christmas is only a week away. So lights Monday and tree Tuesday? Plus, I want to surprise Rachel, if you can sneak Charlie and Danny and get them to a mall Santa, I'd really appreciate it," Ben said.

"Yeah, we don't mind," Miles said.

"I'm off to bed now, do whatever you want, just don't wake the kids," Ben said as he headed up the stairs.

"Sleeping arrangements?" Miles asked, knowing Bass was the one to bring the bags upstairs and Rachel probably told him the options.

"Well you get the guest room bed, which is a double. There's a twin air mattress for me in the guest room or I have the option of sleeping on the pullout couch in the basement. So what do you think, we have enough beer to sleep quietly, sleeping pills, or the basement?" Bass answered Miles and figured he'd just follow his lead.

"Basement. Ben warned me that Charlie wakes up early and is a ball of energy right away. If we're downstairs, we'll at least have a little bit more warning. Grab the twin mattress or just share the pullout?"

"Hey, as long as you don't steal the covers, I'm good with sharing," Bass answered, which earned him a punch in the shoulder from Miles. They both got up from the couch and put all the beer bottles and cans in the recycling before heading up stairs and changing in the guest room. Bass grabbed his toothbrush and went downstairs so that they wouldn't be all elbows in the bathroom. He headed downstairs and moved the toys out of the way to open the pullout couch. Rachel had been nice enough and left the sheets on the armrest and there were pillows and blankets scattered around the basement. Obviously Charlie used this room to build her basement forts. Well, that would be one more activity Miles and Bass could get behind. Something low tech and something he actually could do.


	2. Chapter 2

Bass woke up first and saw the light from the window. He rubbed his eyes and checked the clock. Seven-thirty, not bad. They slept in a bit, which meant it was his turn to poke Miles awake. They both headed upstairs, surprised to see Rachel up and about, with Charlie already eating her Cheerios. Miles grabbed two bowls from the cabinets and poured him and Bass some Cheerios for breakfast while Bass poured them some orange juice. Charlie looked between Miles and Bass, and Bass was wondering what she had to say.

"Mommy, are Uncle Miles and Bass in love?" Charlie asked in her sweet song voice. Luckily, Bass had just finished swallowing, but Miles wasn't so lucky and ended up in a coughing fit. Rachel tried to keep a straight face but was having some difficulty.

"Why do you think that?" Rachel asked.

"Cuz I saw them sleeping together downstairs and you and Daddy love each other and that's why you sleep together," Charlie said, as though she had the answers for everything. Bass was surprised, he must have been really tired to not have heard Charlie's footsteps coming downstairs.

"Your uncle Miles and Bass are just very good friends. Now be a good girl and eat your Cheerios," Rachel said. Miles shook his head once he had stopped coughing, as though he couldn't imagine what else Charlie was going to come up with during this vacation. To make a point, Bass held up his clean bowl to encourage Charlie to finish hers.

"After I finish, can we play?" Charlie asked, looking towards Miles.

"What are your plans today?" Rachel asked.

"We were going to go scout a bar and watch some of the games today," Bass answered, "we can decorate tomorrow. If you want, we can help with Charlie this morning."

"If you two don't mind, I'd appreciate it. I'm going to go check on Danny now and Ben's still upstairs sleeping. Unless you want me to wake him up?"

"Let him sleep, we saw him last night. We'll do the dishes and clean up here," Miles replied as he started to clear the table.

This led to Charlie dragging Bass to the basement and ordering him to fix the couch so she could dance because it was in the way. Then she decided to take all her clothes off and go through a box to put on the dress that twirled the most, or at least that's how she explained it to Bass. She then twirled around and around until she fell over in a fit of giggles. Which is how Miles came to find Bass twirling Charlie around so she could go faster. No sooner had she started this did she decide it was time to watch youtube videos. And sing along. Miles, who already hated pop music, was less amused than Bass who enjoyed Charlie's renditions of Katy Perry's "Firework" and Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" even if the lyrics weren't quite right and definitely not at all appropriate for her age.

Of course, whenever Miles tried to change the song, Charlie would get all mad and smack his hand. Then she'd beg him to sing along and then get mad when he wouldn't sing the right lyrics. Or what she deemed the right lyrics to be. Bass conceded that this was giving him enough material to tease Miles for weeks, maybe months. So yes, Miami might be warm and he'd be getting plenty of action, but no where else could he see Miles be beaten by a three year old over silly pop songs. Then she decided she had enough of youtube and it was time to dance some more. If only Charlie was slightly older, she'd probably be interested in playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero and that was something Miles would have a slightly better tolerance for. Instead, they were stuck listening Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" while Charlie attempted to follow along with the dancer on the screen. Bass had to admit, Charlie may not be the best at the game, but at least she was having a lot of fun. Bored with the game already, she went back to youtube and decided it was time for Taylor Swift, which was when Miles decided enough was enough and they needed to find the bar to start watching the game.

When they got upstairs, they found Danny in the swing in the living room, Ben typing away at his laptop while Rachel sat snuggled up next to him, drinking coffee and watching TV. Charlie bounced up and almost made Rachel spill, while Ben wished them good morning. Bass went upstairs to grab the car keys and grabbed both of their jackets. They waved the family good bye and said they'd be back for dinner. Miles grabbed the keys from Bass, knowing Bass would drink more at the bar and deserved it, since they were at Ben's house.

Luckily, the nearest bar wasn't too far from Ben's and since it was winter break for the college students, there were plenty of college girls home. Granted, most of them had boyfriends if they were at the bar, but Bass had a talent for finding those who just wanted some company. It was just made slightly more difficult because there was no way he could bring a girl back to Ben and Rachel's and he definitely did not want to go to the girl's house if she lived with her parents. Well, he'd take what he could get. Miles grabbed a seat at the bar where the post-college guys were sitting and let Bass just do his own thing. Bass introduced himself to the girl wearing the Colts jersey who introduced herself as Anna and after talking about the team for a bit, offered to buy her a drink.

Ah, a girl who liked Budweiser, a rare treat for him! At least she wasn't a cosmo girl. He couldn't stand girls who wanted only their fruity cocktails. She kept chatting about various things, her major (civil engineering, a smart girl to boot!), that she attended Georgia Tech in Atlanta and was just here visiting her cousins for the holidays. As long as she kept talking, Bass kept buying her drinks. When Indianapolis won the game (which he knew would happen), Miles had come up to him and said that they should get heading back for dinner, and Anna offered him her number first. Score 1 for Bass. Of course, Miles wasn't really looking for anyone so it's not like he really needed to keep score.

Dinner was simple and Bass was grateful again that they didn't push him for anything. Ben, who wasn't much a sports person, asked how it was and of course Miles had to throw him under the bus and say Bass already managed to get a girl's number whose heart he was destined to break, like all of the others. Rachel cracked a smile and Charlie had to add that it's not nice to break things, that gets you in trouble with Daddy. Bass smirked at this this, wondering what things Charlie had broken to get in trouble. Not that he'd be surprised with the way she moved about flailing her arms out.

After dinner, Bass grabbed a beer for himself and Miles and settled in to watch the Patriots and Packers game, not that he really had a strong feeling to either team, at least it'd be a good game to watch. It was a late game that day and so Ben and Rachel had already tucked the kids to bed and gone to bed themselves, leaving Miles and Bass downstairs.

"Not surprised you meet a girl up here," Miles said.

"Even better, she's in Atlanta for school."

"Seriously Bass? Don't you think that's a little young?"

"She's old enough to drink, right? That's old enough for me."

"Yeah, okay. I want no part of this. Last girl you dated that young, well when you decided it was over and ignored her, she thought the best way to get you back was to call me incessantly."

"The last one wasn't even old enough to drink. I know better than that this time."

"So you say. Christmas lights tomorrow, you're putting them up."

"You're in charge of Charlie then. That's way more challenging than climbing a ladder." Bass jiggled his can to indicate he had finished his beer and Miles took that to mean it was time to head to bed. Miles looked upstairs and then towards the basement before Bass pointed downstairs. Miles pointed upstairs and Bass just shook his head. "At least I won't have to fight you for the covers tonight," Bass said and Miles smirked.

"Maybe, but I can just send Charlie down to wake you up," Miles said as he was halfway up the stairs and Bass continued on to the basement, setting up the pullout since Charlie had been so insistent on putting it away in the morning. He set up the bed and looked up at the ceiling, wondering what else the next few days held in store for him. He tried to remember more about his sisters at Charlie's age, to find ways to occupy her without torturing Miles too much. Plus, wherever Miles was, he wouldn't be far behind and there was only so much of the pop music he could stand without drinking and Rachel would probably frown on it if he started drinking in front of three year old before 5 o'clock, let alone noon.

In the morning, Bass found Miles and Charlie munching away at the table, with Miles trying to get Charlie to laugh by making faces at her. Bass helped himself to some cereal and looked around for Rachel, while Miles just pointed upstairs first and then pointed at a box at the bottoms of the stairs. Oh that's right, Christmas lights. With any luck, Ben would have put them away nice and neat, unlike his own family where it was a Christmas tradition to untangle the lights and not break the lights. The worst part was the testing of the light to figure out which light was broken. Most of the time, Bass would suggest they just buy new lights and his stubborn father would spend ages trying to fix the lights. With Miles still making faces at a giggling Charlie, Bass cleaned up and moved to look at the lights. Ah, no surprise. Ben had them all nicely wrapped up, no tangles so far. As long as he didn't let Charlie get to lights, this would be pretty easy. He lifted up the box and moved outside. He turned around to close the door behind him and Charlie had already raced out.

It was Chicago and winter so Bass lifted her up and put her back inside to grab her jacket. Once he had her settled with hat and gloves, he opened the door only to hear his name being called. Rachel was on the stairs holding Danny and thanking him for making sure Charlie was ready. Miles slowly moved outside to make sure Charlie didn't run into the street. Bass walked back in the house to open the garage door to grab the ladder so he could hang some of lights along the gutter. He noticed that there were already nails and hooks in place, which would make his job a lot easier. He tried to ignore what was going on in the background but Miles kept having to direct Charlie to throw her ball away from the street, not towards it. Luckily they lived on a fairly residential street, but you could never be too careful. Somehow, that meant distracting Charlie by having her watch him put the lights up. Which she then freaked out about.

"No no no no no! White lights on the bushes, colors on the house! Do it again, do it again!" Bass turned to look at Miles, who merely shrugged. Great, first he would have to get Charlie to stop being so excited over everything. Next he was going to have to redo all of what he just did, but luckily there weren't too many options. With the lights hung in their proper places, accordingly to Charlie, she declared that Santa could now find their house. She just hoped Santa would know that she had a baby brother, since Danny hadn't been allowed to meet Santa yet. Miles had heard this and glanced at Bass, remembering their conversation with Ben the other day. Obviously now would be too suspicious, but maybe they could convince Ben to take Rachel out for dinner and they would babysit Danny and Charlie by taking them to the mall for pictures with Santa. Though that was asking for trouble with taking a colicky baby and a child with an endless supply of energy. But hey, they were two Marines, they could handle it, he hoped.

After the lights were all strung up, Miles and Bass kicked the ball around to Charlie, hoping to tire her out a bit before lunch. Rachel called them in for lunch and Charlie happily ate her hot dog, exclaiming it was always nice when Uncle Miles came for a visit, then she had someone to play with. Bass took Charlie back outside and Miles attempted to call Ben at work, but he didn't pick up. Tonight would be a good night to go to the mall, they didn't want to wait too long. When Miles failed to get in touch with Ben, he asked Rachel if she minded if they took Charlie to pick out a Christmas tree. Rachel's face lit up, Bass assumed it was from relief at not having to do it. Miles just told her to bring the Christmas decoration down and to get the tree stand ready and they'd come back with whatever tree Charlie picked out. Miles went to get Charlie ready while Bass grabbed Rachel's keys, since it was easier to just take her car rather than take the carseat and put it in the rental car. Charlie couldn't stop her excitement at getting to pick out a tree, but she kept insisting not a Charlie Brown tree. Bass figured she must have just watched the Christmas special right before they showed up. She also said she couldn't wait to show them the decorations she had made in preschool. That made Bass think, where did all of his family's Christmas decorations end up?

He knew he had packed a bunch of stuff up and there was probably some things scattered between Ben's house, a storage place in Jasper, and probably other random relatives had taken some stuff. No, he couldn't dwell on that now, this time it was about making new memories and keeping Charlie smiling. They arrived at the lot where Rachel said she usually picks out the Christmas tree and he wasn't surprised to see that it was picked over, but that was okay. After Miles scooped Charlie out of the car, she immediately grabbed on to Bass's hand, and he was a little surprised but gave her a gentle squeeze before he felt her drag him over to Miles, who just shrugged when she grabbed his hand and started to pull both of them towards the largest trees. Miles knew how tall the ceiling was where they usually put the tree so he started to pull Charlie in the other direction, but she wasn't having any of it. So Bass did what he though was best in a case like this, with Miles pulling on her one side, Bass lifted up the other, with Charlie's feet dangling in the air. She giggled and then every few steps, she ask for up and they'd pull her and let her dangle for a minute while they walked.

When they reached the last remaining trees that would fit in the house, Miles let go of Charlie's hand and she ran circles around the trees, looking at all of them to see which one she deemed was the best. Apparently there was certain criteria that had to be met, mostly that were lots of branches for her to hang her ornaments on. Bass thought back to his own Christmas tree and that they had used an artificial tree for simplicity's sake, less mess his mother said. If he had just gone to Miami, his thoughts wouldn't constantly be comparing his Christmas traditions to what the Mathesons did. Once Charlie finally made her decision and Miles also approved it, they had the challenge of making sure it was completely strapped down to the car. Luckily, it wasn't that far of a drive and the tree made it back home in one piece.

Inside, Rachel had already pulled the box of Christmas decorations down and most of them looked Charlie proof. Rachel said she kept any of the breakables upstairs, easier that way. Bass and Miles managed to get the tree in and up without too much of a mess and then Charlie decided to help by pouring the water in the stand and then getting water all over the floor. Always an adventure, Bass thought. Rachel strung up the Christmas lights while Charlie started putting on the ornaments at the bottom. Miles moved over to the stereo and turned it on to one of the stations playing Christmas music. While Bass, Miles and Charlie decorated the tree, Rachel made hot chocolate for everyone and included mini marshmallows at Charlie's request, but Bass wasn't about to say anything. He always loved marshmallows in his hot chocolate, it was a Christmas tradition in his house. Of course, now that he and Miles were older, they had taken to adding a bit of whiskey to their hot chocolate, but he knew Rachel would have frowned at that.

Ben was once again missing from dinner and after dinner they all sat around in the living room while Charlie changed the channels and insisted on explaining whatever they were watching. Rachel didn't stay long at all, and Bass could just feel the tension coming off of her and Miles. She used the excuse that she need to put Danny to bed and then she'd be back down to put Charlie to bed too. Bass was about to get up and grab a beer for himself and Miles, when his phone buzzed. He had texted Anna earlier just to give her his number, but he certainly wasn't expecting a response this quickly. When he looked at the text, it made sense. Her cousins were going to a bar to watch the Bears and Vikings game and she was wondering if he (and his friend she added but probably only to be polite) wanted to join them. Of course he did, but he wasn't sure how Miles was going to feel about this. Especially to leave him and Rachel alone in the house? Yeah, that didn't sound like a great idea at all.

Miles agreed to go, but only on the condition that Bass buy the first round and that if Bass had more than a few, he was not to drive. Whatever, he thought, at least he had already managed to get a girl who was interested in him and didn't have to play all awkward with Rachel. Since they were in Chicago, Bass knew who the bar would be rooting for, even if he really didn't care about the outcome, his team won yesterday. Then again, he quickly checked out who was predicted to win and based on Chicago's record, they'd be more likely to win, even better for him. Of course, he was still stuck at Ben's house and Anna was at her cousins' house. He'd have to come up with a creative solution to this problem. They stuck around at the bar for a few rounds after the game and when they got back, Ben was still up typing away at his laptop.

"Rachel said you two went to a bar again?" Ben asked.

"Bass's girl invited him out," Miles said.

"Already?" Ben asked incredulously.

"What can I say? Women love me. Plus it was Chicago – Minnesota for Monday Night Football," Bass added, trying to make it seem a little less fast.

"You tell yourself that if it helps you sleep at night," Miles quipped back.

"Right. Back to the important stuff. Ben, we tried calling earlier, what's up? Did you get the message? Dinner tomorrow night?" Bass asked.

"Yeah, I got the message, sorry about not answering, I get horrible reception in the basement of the university. But yes, I made reservations for dinner at 5, so you guys can take the kids any time after that."

"Sounds like a plan. We'll see you after dinner tomorrow then?" Miles asked.

"Yeah. Also Charlie and Danny have some nice clothes. Danny's should be in the top drawer in the dresser in his room. Charlie has a few dresses hung up in her closet, just let her pick one out. She'll probably choose which ever twirls the most, it's her favorite thing to do."

"She definitely has an endless supply of energy," Bass added.

"That she does. Good night and thanks again," Ben said as he headed upstairs with Miles following and Bass heading down to the basement.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. I don't own Revolution, enjoy!**

The next morning found Bass entertaining Charlie as she read off her Christmas list. It was filled with a lot of typical child wishes, but one thing stuck out in his mind. She wanted Santa to make her brother better. If only Santa had magic and could grant her that wish. He knew what he'd wish for, his family back. He gave Charlie a hug before she scampered off, probably to find something else he was going to regret getting involved with. When she came back down with a box of Play-doh containers and all the cookie cutter shapes he knew she was not supposed to be playing with this anywhere near the carpet. At least when he was in charge of her, that is. He managed to avert the crying crisis that he was sure would come by suggesting they play at the kitchen table, at least that was washable.

Which was where Miles found making desserts out of Play-doh to go along with the pretend tea party. When Charlie saw Miles she dragged him over and said he was the King so he had to wear the crown. And of course this crown just happened to be pink and have feathers all over it. Bass moved to get a picture of Miles, but Miles was not about to let him do that. Miles then was about chase him around the kitchen, but Rachel happened to walk in and see what the commotion was all about. Luckily for them, she was more concerned about the state of the kitchen table and it was now their responsibility to clean it all up. And this was also why Bass tried to avoid playing with Play-doh. It always left such a mess and the dough never really lasted that long or it would turn funny colors after a while. But hey, it kept Charlie happy and that's what really mattered.

Since Miles and Bass had been just entertaining Charlie during most of their visit, Rachel dragged them upstairs to go over how to take care of Danny. Bass reminded Rachel that he remembered having to take care of his sisters and Miles reminded her that they knew where the emergency numbers were, if they had any problems they'd call. For once, Ben was home early to take Rachel out and that left Miles and Bass and the children. He looked at Miles and then looked towards Danny, figuring a screaming baby would be easier to get dressed than Charlie, who seemed to change her mind every five seconds. One fatal flaw in this plan was trying to keep Charlie quiet about what they did, maybe bribe her with ice cream for dinner? That usually worked, or at least Bass hoped it would. Bass scooped Danny up out of the swing and headed up the stairs while Miles explained to Charlie they were going to meet Santa and needed to dress up. She bounced up the stairs, already knowing which dress she wanted to wear.

They took Rachel's car and managed to find a parking spot not too far from the entrance that Ben had said the Santa was located near. Charlie skipped along, holding Miles's hand while Bass carried Danny. She kept happily chattering about what presents she wanted but most of all she wanted Danny to get better and also to be bigger so she could play with him. And for Daddy to be home more often. And for Uncle Miles and Bass to visit more because it was so much fun when they came. When they entered the line to wait for their picture, Charlie then wished she had a big Christmas tree like the one behind Santa and wanted more ornaments for the tree at home. Luckily for Bass, Danny was awake and not crying, so hopefully he'd be good sitting on Santa's lap.

After about a twenty minute wait, which felt like an eternity for Charlie who was running out of things to talk about that Miles was willing to listen to, it was finally their turn with Santa. Charlie sat there and Bass handed Danny over, no tears, and they stepped back to let them take the picture. When they got to the end, the nice elf told them to come back in about fifteen minutes and their pictures would be ready. She handed Charlie a candy cane and told her to be good for her daddies. Bass looked at Miles and smirked.

"Oh no, this is my niece and nephew," Miles added, "we're surprising their parents with a nice Christmas present."

This must have flustered the poor lady because she kept apologizing and said they looked like such a happy family. She wished them a Merry Christmas and Miles ushered Charlie off to get some ice cream like promised as Bass laughed at the insinuation that he and Miles were raising these two as a couple. Well, they were in the twenty first century and a pretty metropolitan area. Still pretty funny, especially since Miles didn't find it nearly as amusing.

Of course Charlie would want chocolate ice cream with lots of sprinkles. At least Miles was smart when he ordered and made sure to get in a cup. Without even asking what he wanted, Miles handed Bass a mint chocolate chip cone as he ate his own rocky road cone. It was nice that someone knew him well enough to know which ice cream he preferred. They sat down at the food court while Charlie enjoyed her chocolate ice cream and even tried to share with Danny. Miles luckily caught this and told her it was nice of her, but maybe they could wait until he was a little older to share ice cream. That and Miles didn't want to find out if Danny was allergic to anything while he was watching them. Charlie decided she was full and so Miles and Bass took turns finishing off her ice cream before heading back home.

They didn't want to take her into a toy store, but Bass still wasn't sure what to get Charlie for Christmas. Danny it'd be easy, just buy some cute clothes meant for someone a little older so he'd grow into them and be done with it. But Charlie? He wanted to get her something she'd be excited for but at the same time, he wasn't sure the four of them had it in them to brave a toy store together. He could always ask Rachel or Ben what they wanted Charlie to get for Christmas. Fuck it, he'd brave the toy store. He pulled Miles aside to whisper the plan, which of course backfired when Charlie kicked him and said no secrets allowed.

"I'd rather buy her CDs of good music, none of this crap she keeps listening to," Miles said.

"Not sure if Rachel and Ben would appreciate that."

"Like Charlie really needs more toys."

"Well her biggest wish is for Danny to get better. Her heart's in a good place," Bass added, still not sure what he wanted to get Charlie for Christmas.

"That and for Ben to be home more and to see us? Yeah kid just wants more people around. Not sure how that's going to happen."

"Hey, are Rachel's parents coming up for Christmas?" Bass asked, knowing Miles would know the answer.

"Not this year. They came up for Thanksgiving and since we were coming for Christmas, Rachel and Ben decided to stay home. Well and they didn't want to travel with Danny just yet. Which is probably a good thing. Plus I don't think Gene really likes me much, so there's always that."

"Dads are perceptive, it's no surprise he really doesn't like you. Especially when it comes to their little girls."

"I know you're talking from experience, the amount of times you've been chased out of houses."

"Hey now, you swore you wouldn't bring that up again!"

"Which time? The one with the dog or the one with the shotgun? The list could go on, you know," Miles teased Bass about all of the one night stands who happened to neglect to mention they lived with their parents whose daddies were none too happy to find Bass there in the morning. By this time, they had almost made it out of the mall and Miles and Bass still had no idea what to get Charlie for Christmas. Bass thought about more Play-doh sets, but if he hated dealing with it, he could only imagine how Rachel felt about dealing with it. Maybe a nice set of crayons and colored pencils would work and a stack of colored paper. He thought about getting scissors but he remembered his sisters at that age and they used to cut absolutely everything just because they could.

They made it home way before Rachel and Ben were back from their dinner and decided to get the kids ready for bed. It was a Tuesday night and right before Christmas so there probably wasn't any interesting TV shows on or if there were, they were all repeats. Not that he really kept up with current TV, but let's see a Tuesday night so it was either hockey or basketball for sports tonight. Well, the Bulls were playing the Sixers, so at least he'd be able to watch a winning game. Miles let Charlie pick out a bedtime story and while he read to her, Bass grabbed the beer out of the fridge and settled on the couch to watch the game. Even though he knew they had an early dinner reservation, they were probably taking full advantage of having free babysitters around. That and Ben probably started out stalling for time and then who knows where the two of them ended up, not his business anyway.

Miles joined him on the couch and grabbed a beer, commenting on the score already. Not surprised in the slightest that Chicago had made a large margin already. After the half, with Chicago winning, Bass decided to call it a night, but Miles grabbed his hand.

"Stay upstairs tonight? I'd stay in the basement but I want to be upstairs in case the kids start screaming before Ben and Rachel get back."

"And what do you need me for?"

"To keep my own nightmares at bay so I don't wake them up."

Bass understood Miles's dilemma and headed upstairs, knowing the guest room bed really was more than large enough for both of them. They had shared beds in worst situations than this and sometimes, Bass knew he just needed Miles there. Just knowing Miles was right next to him to keep anything from happening, even if it meant he'd have to deal with the snoring, it was fine. And Miles needed Bass almost as much, if not more. The two of them had worked out a lot of their issues but sometimes, you just needed to know someone had your back. If Miles was afraid of his own nightmares, it really just meant he'd need Bass to wake him out of them quickly enough so no one else heard. Wouldn't want Ben and Rachel to think he was dangerous around the kids. Or have to try to explain it to Charlie, or worst yet, have Charlie tell Miles it was okay to have nightmares and ask what his nightmares were from. No, they didn't want to scar the poor child or even have Ben explain it to her yet, leave her to have her innocence for a few more years.

Bass had no idea what time Rachel and Ben came back because he had ended up falling asleep pretty quickly and stayed asleep. Obviously there was no need for Miles to worry because he was out all night as well. He was tempted to let Miles sleep in, but where was the fun in that? He kicked Miles, who grumbled and rolled over but not before trying to smack Bass and failing as Bass moved out of the way. Bass tossed a pillow at Miles's head as he walked downstairs and found a smiling Charlie eating her breakfast. Rachel was at the stove cooking eggs and bacon. He sat down at the table and was surprised when she brought over a plate full of bacon and eggs.

"Thanks," he said.

"No thank you for watching both of the kids last night. There aren't many people we'd trust with Danny and we know Charlie is a handful still. Ben and I needed a nice dinner out without having to worry."

"Don't lie, you probably were constantly worried about what kind of damage we inflicted on your children. Don't worry, they won't need therapy from spending time with us," Bass joked back with her.

"Still, it means a lot to us that you've both been a big help with Charlie. You didn't have to do that."

"Is there anything else we can do to help out with Christmas? Do you guys have any traditions for Christmas Eve?"

"There's a few things I need to pick up from the store, if you guys don't mind running to the store, I'll give you the list and money. Maybe take Charlie? She loves spending time with her uncle Miles."

"That kid doesn't want to be separated from him. But yeah we won't mind. Ah speak of the devil," Bass said as Miles came down the stairs, hair all disheveled.

"Way to kick me awake, jerk," Miles said grumpily.

"It was time for Sleeping Beauty to wake up. Look Rachel made us breakfast for watching her little devils last night. Then we're taking Charlie to the food store," Bass said, which led to Charlie bouncing down from her chair and screaming yay, before running upstairs to get dressed all on her own because she was a big girl now, or so she said. Rachel said good morning to Miles before heading upstairs to help Charlie get dressed. The last time she let Charlie get dressed by herself, she explained, Charlie ended up in a pink tutu and a swimsuit top. Bass looked at Miles and grinned, grateful that Charlie had managed to pick a nice Christmas dress for the picture last night.

After Miles had finished his breakfast and Bass and Miles got ready, they piled into Rachel's car with Charlie kicking her feet in the air to show off her sparkly pink boots. Bass had the list and money from Rachel and it was a pretty full list. He remembered what it was like to take his sisters food shopping at that age and knew there was no way they'd come out with just the things on the list if they dragged Charlie around the whole store. Knowing how attached Charlie was to Miles, he suggested Miles distract her, show her the Christmas displays and let her pick something out. Maybe buy her a cookie from the bakery to munch on while Bass ran around the store as fast as he could to get everything.

Miles decided to listen to Bass for once without an argument and took Charlie off to the bakery first. Sure Rachel probably wouldn't have agreed to cookies before lunch but if it kept Charlie happy, who was going to complain? Of course, keeping Charlie from telling Rachel was another story. As Bass finished grabbing the last of the list, he found Miles and Charlie at one of the ends of the aisles with Charlie begging for a gingerbread house and Miles running low on reasons why she couldn't have it. Bass noticed the face she was making and that the tears were about to fall. He walked up behind Miles and grabbed three of the kits, one for himself, one for Miles and one for Charlie. This way they'd have enough supplies in case Charlie decided to eat any and if she wanted to decorate more than one house, well, then she could.

It was nearing lunchtime, so on their way back to the house they stopped at one of the fast food joints and got Charlie a kids' meal and some burgers for themselves. They knew Rachel was not fond of fast food at all, but that didn't stop them from eating it and it wasn't about to kill Charlie to have it once in a while. When they got back to the house, Charlie was all excited over whatever toy came with the meal and Rachel had just put Danny down as Miles and Bass finished their own lunch.

They weren't surprised when Charlie decided now was the best time to build the gingerbread houses. Miles tried to dissuade her to no avail and Bass just opened his box up and settled himself at the kitchen table. He neatly put all of the candies to the side, whereas he looked over to see Charlie ripping apart the box and dumping everything out. Bass wasn't much of an artist and decided to just try to follow the picture on the box. Meanwhile, Miles was trying to just keep Charlie from eating the candy and the icing glue. He built her house before starting on his own. Then she continued to just fingerpaint the icing glue around, sticking the candies that she had left randomly. Bass's house looked identical to the one on the box, which he was surprised he had enough candy and glue to decorate it. He glanced at Miles, who was fighting off Charlie who kept just grabbing from either kit to add to the mess her house had become. Miles eventually had just given up and decided to just go with the flow and shook his head when he looked at Bass's perfect house. But if Charlie was being quiet and enjoying this, who were they to complain?

When Ben had come home, at a reasonable time for once, he just shook his head at the gingerbread houses on the counter, knowing exactly which one belonged to Charlie. Even if he hadn't been able to guess, Charlie was so proud of her house that she kept pointing at it and asked Ben if he loved it because she did it all by herself. Miles laughed at that and Charlie glared at him. Nothing like a little fun family teasing at the holidays.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed or favorited. I don't own Revolution, this is just for fun. Enjoy!**

Once they were finished and the gingerbread house mess had been cleaned up, Miles and Bass managed to corral Charlie in the basement and convince her to play with the Wii to show off her skills. They sat back on the couch as she danced around to whatever terrible pop song she chose, usually exclaiming how it was her favorite song ever. Bass played on his phone when he got a text from Anna, saying that her cousin and boyfriend had reservations at Quartino's in downtown Chicago, but they were sick and would he like to join her? He asked Miles for his opinion, just as Rachel came down the stairs. Rachel then told him it was a nice restaurant, but wasn't this the girl he just met? It seemed a little much for a first date.

Well, if nothing else, Bass would show her he was a gentleman, but at the same time, he really didn't know if he wanted to deal with the heavy conversations that accompanied a first date like this. Still, if he wanted to keep her interested, hell why not? Leave Miles to be all awkward with Rachel, he'd go off and have a good time and maybe Anna would be a nice girl to pursue once they got back to base. She wasn't too far but far enough that if it ended, it wouldn't be awkward between them. He just knew she'd ask why he was here with a friend, since she had already met Miles, instead of spending it with his family. He'd just have to find a way to quickly deflect that question and turn everything to be about her.

Bass was glad he had at least packed church clothes, not knowing if Rachel would force them to attend church for Christmas. He knew Miles and Ben weren't practicing even if they had been raised Catholic. He freshened up and came back downstairs to find Charlie happily munching away at her dinner. Miles tossed him the car keys and waved him off. Anna had texted him her address and Rachel had given him the easiest directions from her house into downtown Chicago, knowing that traffic was pretty terrible at this hour. Miles always commanded control of the radio, since Bass was more generally more agreeable to whatever was playing, Bass changed the station to the local Top 40 station, figuring it would be a good middle ground.

When he pulled up to the house, Anna had come outside before he had even reached the door. He was grateful that Rachel had warned him that the restaurant was a nice one because she was wearing a nice black skirt and a cute blouse. Now he was regretting the decision to stay with Ben and Rachel, why couldn't he and Miles have gotten a hotel room? Oh right, because this holiday was supposed to be all about family. And Miles hadn't spent much time with his family lately and a crying Charlie was always the way to get anyone to agree. Bass was going to be the perfect gentleman and opened the door for her. She gave him a cute smile and he was looking forward to dinner.

"Thanks for coming to get me, since I'm staying with family, I don't have a car and I hate taking public transit. Especially in the winter," she said.

"It's my pleasure. Have you been there before?" he said sincerely.

"We had gone once or twice, but not since I turned 21."

He didn't want to pry, but he had to know. "When was your 21st birthday?" He knew she was young and that generally he looked younger than his age, so he hoped she wouldn't be too thrown off when the question came up about his own age.

"November."

"This year?"

"Yeah, why? How old are you?"

"28." He heard her gasp, he hoped she wasn't about to change her mind about anything.

"Oh wow, you definitely don't look 28!"

"Probably because I shaved, whenever I get lazy and get a beard, it ages me."

"Then let me change the topic, are you a big wine drinker? I'm not much of one yet and definitely don't have a preference but I know Quartino's has an extensive wine list, so if you know anything, you should share your knowledge with me." He could tell she was getting nervous because she was talking faster and he had to figure out how to get this back under control.

"Says the girl who I bought Budweiser for at the bar? Yeah, I'm more of a beer or whiskey drinker. I honestly usually laugh at the wine descriptions. Some of them are pretty ridiculous. 'A hint of florals enhance the tangy citrus bite.' Aren't the wines made from grapes? I can never taste whatever the wine is telling me, I just enjoy a glass with a nice meal."

"That's true. And I can definitely vouch for the food being good. It's why I even asked if you wanted to come, didn't want to let the reservation go to waste when I know how good the food is. Plus, I enjoyed watching the football games with you this week and really, my family is quite crazy, any excuse is a good excuse to get out of the house," she laughed.

"Oh so I'm just an excuse to get out of the house?" he said with a teasing tone.

"I didn't mean it like that! Mostly just that our family dinners usually turn into pick on each other. There's only so many days of that one girl can take and it hasn't even hit Christmas yet."

"Well I'll try not to tease you then and give you a break from your family. But what could they possibly tease you about?" He smiled at her, hoping this would not turn into his family.

"Everything and anything. I guess I just handle it better than my other cousins, so I become the target. Granted, I apparently set myself up for most of them or I become giggly when drinking, but hey, it's family and I know it's all in good fun."

Bass pulled into the parking garage Rachel had told him and tried to be the perfect gentleman, but Anna waved him, saying she was a big girl and could open the door herself. He held his arm out for her and she looped her arm through his, smiling as he led them to the restaurant. When they got to the host stand, he turned to her, realizing that it would be under her cousin's name rather than either of their names. They arrived at just the right time as they were taken to their seats immediately.

Anna looked over the menu and glanced up at him. "How would you feel about just ordering several different appetizers and different cheeses and getting the smaller glasses of wine so we can try a few."

"Sounds like a plan to me. I will pretty much eat anything, so order whatever and we'll split."

"You pick the wines then, I'll order the food." When the waiter came back and Anna began ordering, Bass was impressed with her choices. First, here was a girl who wasn't afraid to eat and second, she was ordering a good variety of dishes with the three different cheese plates, a risotto, caprese salad, prosciutto, veal meatballs, and a sausage pizza. It was definitely enough for them to start with and he ordered a glass of Riesling and Rioja to start with something simple. Since they had ordered primarily appetizers, their food came out fairly quickly and Bass was able to keep the conversation focused on the food and wine. As he read off the descriptions of what the wine was supposed to taste like, Anna would take a sip and make her own comments, usually mocking the description provided on the wine list. He made sure she finished before trying to drink any of the wines, not wanting to choke because he kept laughing. Anna babbled more about pop culture, her favorite TV shows and musicians, and Bass was glad he kept up with the latest trends because he was able to comment on which songs he liked best.

They finished their meal and Bass asked if she wanted any dessert. He could always eat and Italian desserts were always delicious. She suggested since she had ordered the food, he could pick any dessert and she'd share it with him. He ordered zeppoles with dark chocolate and some strawberry gelati. Before the waiter had even placed the check down, Bass grabbed and handed him his credit card. Anna tried to pay, but who was he kidding? He was a gentlemen and was not about to let her pay, especially when this could be considered their first date. He walked her back to the car and now knowing exactly what kind of music she liked, he turned the radio up and started to sing along. Even though he knew his voice wasn't the best, he figured it would loosen her up and get her to sing along too. Halfway through one of the songs, she changed the radio to the Christmas station and they sang Christmas carols until he reached her house. She must have realized he was going to be a gentlemen and walk her to the door, so she graciously waited for him to open the door.

He held out his arm to walk her up. He would have loved to give her a kiss good night but had a feeling even if her parents weren't watching one of her relatives were and he did not want to cause any trouble for himself or her, so he settled with a hug.

"I had fun tonight," he said.

"Thank you so much for dinner. It wasn't my intention for you to pay when I asked if you wanted to join me," she said smiling.

"It was my pleasure, really."

"When can I see you again? I have family obligations until after Christmas," she started to say when Bass interrupted.

"And Miles and I are leaving back for base the day after Christmas. So unfortunately, this probably it until after you're back at school and even then, I don't know."

"Well I have your number, just keep in touch."

"Will do. Merry Christmas, this has definitely brightened my Christmas," he said as he gave her another hug and waved, walking back to the car. He wasn't sure what he was going to tell Miles when he got back to the house. He had a great time with Anna, but could he see it going anywhere and would he really make the trip up to Atlanta or would she think he was worth it enough to drive to see him at base? Eh, three more days and then he'd be gone. He'd definitely miss Charlie, she'd been interesting this trip and gave him plenty of blackmail for poor Miles.

When he got back to the house, he hadn't realized just quite late it had gotten and found that everyone had gone to bed. Miles had left him a note, "Chased after Charlie for three hours. I'd like to see you stay awake to wait for my ass after that. Tell me about it in the morning." Typical Miles, finding an excuse for anything. If it was Bass chasing after Charlie and waiting for Miles to come back, he would have just fallen asleep on the couch, still sitting up most likely. Knowing Miles was already asleep upstairs, Bass headed to the basement, not finding the couch set up. Great, just great. Miles couldn't even be nice enough to set up the bed? Bass pulled it out and fell asleep almost immediately.

Thursday seemed to be the one normal day in the Matheson house, with no holiday plans for the day. Ben was finally able to get out of work early and that meant Bass and Miles only needed to entertain Charlie in the morning because then she devoted her attention all to Ben. Miles questioned him about the date and he gave him vague answers, it was fine, we might see each other but who knows. As the holiday approached, Bass's thoughts drifted towards his family more and more and how their own traditions contrasted with craziness in the Matheson house. Granted, this was like the Matheson house he knew growing up, but that's what family and traditions were all about. They evolved as the people changed but there were some traditions he wanted to stick to. In his mind, Christmas should be all about the cookies and baking. His mom used to do a cookie exchange with a group of women from the neighborhood so the variety of cookies was endless. On top of that, his mom always made sure to bake cookies with his sisters and teach them all of her recipes. He tried to learn some but he didn't have the same talent for baking like his mom and sisters. If Charlie was older, he probably could have dug out the old recipes and have her help him but she was so young, what would be able to help with? Even his mom's decorating was so precise and detailed, he didn't have the steady hand to decorate like that. What cookies did his mom have his sisters help with when they were that age? She always managed to include both of them, even when they were that little. Miles, he wouldn't remember the cookie recipes but he certainly would remember all the cookies and sneaking them when he thought she wasn't looking. Which wasn't true, she admitted to Bass later, she just let Miles get away with it.

Later in the afternoon, Bass remembered some of the baking tricks his mom used so he grabbed the car keys and even though they had just got to the food store yesterday, he asked if they needed anything else because he had some ideas on how to keep Charlie occupied that night. Rachel said that was fine, she needed Charlie distracted so that she and Ben could finish wrapping the presents before Christmas. Miles tagged along, knowing Bass would probably end up at Toys'r'us and pick up Charlie something for Christmas, since they were both terrible procrastinators.

Bass had scoped out the kitchen before he left, knowing there was more than enough sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla but he'd need to get flour, raspberry jelly, butter, and eggs. First stop was Toys'r'us where Bass found two coloring books of Disney princesses, a box of 24 crayons, and a sketchbook filled with various colored paper. Miles, still not entirely sure what to get Charlie, picked up some Lego sets, one to make a police car and one with lots of people. Even if Charlie was too young for the Legos right this second, they never went out of style and she'd grow into them. He remembered Ben having Legos everywhere as a child and hoped Charlie was like Ben enough to also enjoy them. Not sure what would be appropriate for Danny, Bass and Miles just chipped in on a gift card, figuring Rachel and Ben could just buy what they needed or save or for later. After the successful shopping trip, Bass quickly hurried around the food store, not wanting to get stuck in traffic on the way back to Rachel and Ben's, since the Toys'r'us was quite far from their house.

When they got back, he asked Rachel if she wouldn't mind wrapping the gifts since they'd be the ones distracting Charlie after dinner. She took the bags from Miles while Bass put the baking supplies away in the kitchen. Charlie was still her energetic self and Ben explained she was going to be on her best behavior because she wanted to help Uncle Miles and Bass after dinner. She didn't know that they were going to be baking, but that wasn't about to stop her from helping. Luckily Bass had picked two very easy recipes that she'd be able to help with.

After dinner, Bass cleaned off the kitchen table and preheated the oven while Ben and Rachel headed upstairs to wrap the gifts. Miles helped Charlie wash her hands and instructed her to not be messy. Bass shook his head at that, good luck getting her to stay clean. Luckily they weren't really messing with too flour. He started out by dicing up the amount of butter needed and putting that in the large mixing bowl with the sugar. He saw Charlie opening her eyes and wanting to help but the measuring need to be done by him or Miles and he really didn't trust Miles in the kitchen. Ah ha, he found the electric mixer at the bottom of the cabinet, why would you put it there? He snapped the beaters in, turned them and told Charlie to hold them. He put his hand over hers but she was in control. Since the butter was only slightly softened, it didn't blend the easiest, but with him guiding the beaters the still managed and Charlie seemed to be enjoying herself. Next came the vanilla and egg so he measured the vanilla and let her pour it in and he knew he'd be fishing egg shell out of the bowl, but hey, she wanted to crack the egg, why not? They were the only ones who were going to be eating the cookies anyway. He let her beat the egg and vanilla in while he slowly added some of the flour before taking the beaters out and finished mixing by hand. The dough wasn't hard enough yet so he put it in the fridge, but Charlie didn't seem to like that idea much.

Which is why he grabbed the break and bake sugar cookie out of the fridge next. He mixed up some cinnamon and sugar and had Charlie roll the cookie dough in the mixture to make snickerdoodles. Bass put the first batch in the oven while Miles helped Charlie place them nicely on the tray. Since their stove had a window that was low enough for Charlie to see, Bass turned on the oven light so she could watch them bake, which seemed to excite her even more.

Now that the dough had chilled enough in the fridge, he pulled it out and started making balls, telling Charlie to place her thumb in the center, these were jelly thumbprint cookies. His favorite kind of jelly was raspberry jelly because it wasn't too sweet and balanced the butter cookie base well. While he rolled the balls, Charlie pressed her thumb in and Miles scooped the jelly into the center. With the three of them working, it was done faster than the snickerdoodles in the oven so they had to wait for them to come out before putting them in. Of course, Charlie was fascinated by the jelly cookies as she watched the jelly bubble in the oven and sometimes even spill over. Luckily they had baked the snickerdoodles first because they cooled much faster and she was able to snack on them while she waited for the jelly cookies. Miles told her to go pick out a movie and then they'd make some popcorn, pretend like they were at the movie theater.

When Ben and Rachel had finished wrapping presents, they came downstairs to find Miles and Bass next to each other on the couch, with their heads leaning against each other with Charlie squeezed in between the two of them and the credits to Ghostbusters playing in the background.

**PS: If you want the recipes for the cookies Bass makes here, PM me. These are my two favorite recipes and I bake them with the kids I babysit for all the time.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you so much for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. I've had a lot of fun writing this, but I don't own Revolution. Enjoy!**

"Charlie," they responded in unison.

"And so you decided to listen to a three year old? Rachel and I have been balancing Charlie and Danny all night because neither one of them decided to sleep. Danny's not your fault but Charlie had nightmares from Ghostbusters."

"Whoa, back up. We told Charlie to pick out a movie, figuring she'd pick a Disney movie. She's the one who pulled out Ghostbusters. I asked if she had seen it before and she started singing the theme song. How was I supposed to know it would give her nightmares?" Miles answered, trying to defend himself.

"Bass, don't you remember when Angela convinced you to let her watch Gremlins? You complained for weeks about how she kept waking you up over nightmares. Let's hope this doesn't last as long for Charlie," Ben shook his head at Miles and Bass.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to cause her nightmares. If you're bringing up Angela, she used to watch Ghostbusters all the time at that age. Meanwhile Jurassic Park gave Angela nightmares but Cynthia watched it nonstop. You never know what a child's fears will be. So we're sorry," Bass responded, defending his actions, knowing it wasn't entirely Miles's fault.

"Maybe I jumped the gun there for yelling at you two, but it's been pretty stressful with work and the lack of sleep. You guys can do whatever you want this morning, just keep it quiet."

"What are the plans for tonight?" Miles asked, still not sure what his brother had planned for Christmas Eve.

"One of the neighbors hosts an open house. Tons of good food, lots of people. They never mind a few extras. It starts around 6, pretty casual, so be ready around then. I'm going back to sleep. If Charlie wanders down here, do you think you can watch her while Rachel and I sleep?"

"We've managed this far with her, I'm pretty sure we can manage another day. Sleep well," Bass answered.

Ben headed back upstairs while Miles and Bass finished their breakfast. After they cleaned up, Bass nodded towards the basement door, figuring playing some video games would be a good way to pass the time. Nothing like a little friendly competition. There was WiiSports and once Bass put the bed away, there was plenty of room to play a little WiiBowling. Several rounds later, Miles had won 5 games to Bass's 4 games. Typical between the two of them, they were usually pretty equally matched and knew how to get the other to screw up while playing. This lasted for a little while until they heard what sounded like a stampede of elephants coming down the stairs. Turned out it was just Charlie hopping on to each stair to make it louder and louder as she descended to the basement. That ended their peaceful morning because now they would have to keep Charlie quiet and occupy her.

It was a little cold to take her outside and play. Bass looked around the basement, looking for anything else they could play with Charlie to keep her occupied. He still had a few extra candies from his gingerbread house and Rachel had bought some other candies. He suggested they play a version of Candyland that he had played with sisters as a child that had real candies mixed in and you could eat the candies as you played along. Maybe giving Charlie sugar wasn't that best idea, but at least it'd keep her entertained and less likely to stomp or cry if she picked the wrong card and got sent back. He definitely remembered his sisters throwing fits over having to be sent back so he used to entice them by telling them the longer the game lasted, the more candy they got to eat. She was thrilled over the game and they ended up playing several rounds until most of the candy was gone. Any time it was Miles or Bass's turn to eat candy, they'd just sneak it back into the pile so that Charlie would be the one eating all of the candy and also to keep the game going longer.

Which worked a little too well when they realized now they'd need to find a way for her to burn off the energy so they put Just Dance on and let Charlie pick all of the songs out. More torture for Miles, but hey, that's what he gets for cheating at WiiBowling and beating Bass. The candy definitely was wearing off as Charlie's moves got slower and she got more irritated with Miles. Bass sat back on the couch and watched her try to push Miles into the right moves, which were still wrong. He laughed, which only earned him a glare from her. He figured out that Rachel had set up Netflix on the Wii so Bass switched to that and chose some kid's show that aired on Nickelodeon. Charlie must have still been tired because she snuggled up to Bass on the couch and fell asleep while Miles went upstairs to see what was up for tonight, since it was getting close to 6. Bass wasn't too concerned about the gathering tonight, Ben said it was walking distance and there was usually plenty of booze. A perfect way to spend Christmas Eve, as he thought back to some of his family's traditions. He shook his head when Charlie kicked him, ah just like her uncle, a restless sleeper.

He tickled her feet to wake her up, which of course she didn't appreciate and she retaliated by hitting his arm. Miles came back downstairs and informed them to head upstairs to get dressed. Charlie asked if they were going to Tony's because she loved going to Tony's. When Bass pressed why she loved it so much, she told him she loved the levers and wanted to put coins in. He looked at Miles, not entirely sure what she meant. She mimed it and that seemed to confuse him more. Then she mumbled about some of the other toys and getting to see all of her favorite people like Kristen and Alyssa and Mark. But Danny was too little and that was okay because he's just a baby. Bass smiled and nodded as she bounced upstairs to pick what dress to wear, she wanted it to twirl so she could show it off to everyone because she was a pretty princess.

Miles laughed, "Who would have thought you'd be the best at entertaining her? You're about at her mental level, I should have known."

"I'd like to think I'm a little more mature than a 3 year old, but if the alcohol's as free-flowing as Ben implied, let's see how long you last around Rachel." Miles flipped him the bird as he followed Charlie upstairs.

Twenty minutes later, Rachel and Ben were waiting for them at the front door, helping Charlie and Danny get into their coats. Charlie wanted the pinkest, poofiest one in the closet, with the boots that lit up so she could see where she was going. Then she announced that she wanted to hold Uncle Miles's and Bass's hands. Rachel just sighed and Bass reached his hand out for Charlie. He was glad that he could drive Rachel crazy with how much Charlie enjoyed spending time with both of them. Like they did while shopping for Christmas trees, Miles and Bass would pull Charlie up and let her feet dangle as they walked, causing great delight for Charlie. It was just a short walk to Tony's house and instead of going to the front door, Rachel led them to the side door.

"No one ever uses the front door, plus the coat closet is at the side door," she answered when Miles asked, not wanting to be rude. Charlie wiggled out of their hands, threw her shoes and coat down where there was already a pile of coats and some shoes and took off, being thrown up in the air by first person she saw. She squealed with delight and Miles elbowed Bass, "guess we lost our duty tonight."

"That's fine by me. Introduce us, Rachel, then point us to the bar," Bass answered. Ben put Danny down where the elderly were sitting, who all cooed over him. Miles and Bass figured Charlie must have disappeared downstairs when they heard her distinct screeching and the sounds of other children screeching. Rachel and Ben mingled with the rest of the neighbors, Charlie stayed downstairs, barely even coming up to eat, and Miles nursed his vodka tonic all night. Granted, Bass watched Miles pour the drink to be mostly vodka, but he was surprised at how quiet Miles was being. Then he saw him make a glance towards Rachel and understood his motivation for making a strong drink. Bass mingled with the neighbors, making small talk and avoiding talking about his own family.

After the desserts were served and Charlie had her fill of sweets, she dragged Bass downstairs to show him what she had been talking about earlier. He looked around for Miles before going downstairs but didn't find him. He next looked for Rachel, who was happily sitting next to Ben. Well at least they hadn't done anything stupid together yet. When Bass got downstairs, he understood what Charlie had mimed earlier. She was talking about these antique slot machines that you put the coin at the top and then pull the lever to watch the fruit spin around. Of course, Charlie didn't seem to understand the concept of watching for money to come out, she just wanted to keep spending the money and pulling the lever. A few times, she seemed to have some difficulty, so Bass had helped her but she wouldn't let him pull it without her hand being on the lever too. That was how Rachel had found the two of them when she announced it was time to go and get ready for bed so that Santa could come. Charlie happily skipped upstairs and pulled her boots and jacket out of the pile faster than Bass thought was possible. Once back at the house, Miles, ever the functioning alcoholic, managed his way upstairs and Bass said his good-nights, heading downstairs.

"SANTA CAME! SANTA CAME! I WAS A GOOD GIRL!" was the first thing Bass heard in the morning. He was surprised Charlie's shouts hadn't woken up Danny, but when he got upstairs, he saw a tired Rachel with Danny in her arms. Ben had his camera out, taking pictures of Charlie running around, trying to decide which present to open first. Rachel tried to get Charlie to slow down and lower her voice, but Charlie wasn't having any of it. Good for her, Bass thought, it was Christmas, live a little. Miles dragged his ass down the stairs slowly, holding the presents from them to Charlie.

She had finally decided on the largest box first and shoved the wrapping paper everywhere. It was a mini-kitchen filled with lots of pieces that needed to be assembled. He looked at Miles, remembering the adventure of their attempt to put together his sister's kitchen. They both ended up so frustrated that his dad took over at the point where they had almost broken some of the plastic pieces. Then again, Ben would probably read the directions as opposed to just looking at the picture on the box and hoping all of the pieces would nicely snap together. Fact-they don't always nicely snap together. Some of the other boxes were accessories for the kitchen, food, pots and pans, everything a little girl could dream of. He kept watching the paper just fly all over the place while Danny giggle in Rachel's lap. She was still trying to have Charlie slow down while Ben was recording every moment. Miles had already made himself a cup of coffee and was sitting back in the recliner. Somehow, Bass ended up right in the middle of it, with paper flying in his face. Then he saw the next gift.

"Seriously? Who gets their three year old a chemistry set? Isn't she a little young?" Bass asked.

"You're never too young to start learning," Rachel answered gently. Bass glanced at Miles, who shrugged his shoulders and even Ben just shook his head, signaling not to ask any further. There were tons of toys Bass didn't recognize or understand, some more Disney movies, and piles of paper everywhere. The adults had agreed not to get each other presents, knowing that Christmas was really all about the kids. At last, it was just his and Miles's gifts left, which were sitting on the table next to Miles. Bass scooted over to grab them and hand them to Charlie, who happily opened them and promptly dropped them. Bass recoiled slightly, not expecting the full impact of Charlie flinging herself at him.

"Thank you so much! Yay I love it!" Of course, she dumped the crayons out on the floor and started coloring in the book before Rachel reminded her to thank her uncle Miles. Once again Charlie dropped the crayons all over and grabbed one of the Lego boxes, shaking it loudly, as she climbed into the recliner and gave Miles a big hug. Bass looked up at Ben, who was recording all of this. Perfect, Bass thought, as Miles smiled when Charlie demanded he help her build the little car just like on the box. Sure, Miles could build it just like on the box but that was no guarantee that it would last long. She went back to her coloring book while Rachel moved into the kitchen to start breakfast. Of course, Charlie couldn't stay quiet long and next decided that she wanted chocolate chip pancakes since it was Christmas.

Luckily Rachel has made two batches of pancakes-chocolate chip for Charlie and Miles and regular pancakes for the rest of them. Miles had a big sweet tooth and Bass shook his head when he saw how much syrup he was pouring on top of the chocolate chip pancakes. After breakfast, Charlie went right back to coloring and Bass tried to remember what game was on today for the annual Christmas game. It was Cowboys versus Cardinals and wasn't on until much later. Since it was just going to be them for Christmas, they had agreed to an early dinner and get Charlie and Danny to bed early to have some quiet adult time before Miles and Bass left tomorrow. Which in reality meant awkward times with a drunk Miles, sober Ben, and hoping to avoid making faces at all of them.

Miles made his way back to the recliner, Ben was playing with Danny on the floor, which left Bass to help Rachel in the kitchen. He knew his way around a kitchen and ended up doing most of the dishes while Rachel prepped the turkey. Since they hadn't been able to be together for Thanksgiving, they had decided to do a traditional Thanksgiving meal for Christmas, including all of the fixings. Cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, cornbread, stuffing, green bean casserole, and sweet potatoes. What Bass was really looking forward to was dessert. He may not have generally cared for Rachel but she could make an apple pie and though no one could ever top his mom's apple pie, Rachel's came close and it would have to do. It was at least better than the food they were served on base.

The rest of Christmas Day went smoothly, in Bass's opinion. Charlie babbled about her new toys and everything she was going to do now, Danny giggled but didn't scream and seemed to be doing better, Miles didn't drink much, and Ben put the camera away so they could enjoy a peaceful dinner. Rachel also managed to stop looking at Miles which allowed Bass to eat his food without gagging. After getting Charlie and Danny off to bed, Rachel suggested they watch a Christmas movie. Ben chuckled, knowing exactly what Miles and Bass had in mind any time someone suggested a Christmas movie.

"Die Hard or Die Hard 2?" Miles asked.

"You know my answer, it's always Die Hard," Ben replied.

"Hey, why break tradition? Die Hard," Bass chimed in.

"Seriously? That's your choice for a Christmas movie? Not Miracle on 34th St or A Christmas Story or Elf or National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?" Rachel asked incredulously.

"Rach, those are not action movies. We are watching a movie that is kid-inappropriate," Ben said, not wanting to start an argument. He knew how much Bass and Miles enjoyed Die Hard and they had made it their own tradition to watch it around Christmas every year no matter what.

"Plus Die Hard is a good movie," Bass added.

"Unless we want to give Charlie nightmares and watch Gremlins," Miles smirked, knowing that Ghostbusters had already given her nightmares.

"I had one of those nights already, thank you very much. Fine, you guys win, Die Hard it is," she acquiesced. Bass high-fived Miles, knowing that they would have gotten their way with Ben on their side. He was slightly surprised Miles was disagreeing with Rachel, but at the same time, it was Die Hard.

When the movie ended, Rachel, Ben, and Miles headed upstairs and Bass headed back downstairs, careful to step over all of Charlie's toys she had managed to scatter around the entire house already. Looking back on his own memories and traditions with his family, he thought about how he combined his own traditions in with the Mathesons. He was grateful for Miles and he loved spending time with Charlie, who had an endless supply of energy. They were set to head back in the morning after breakfast and Bass wasn't sure how Charlie was going to take it. She had become quite attached to her uncle Miles. Bass remembered his own goodbyes with his sisters, tears started forming in his eyes and he wiped them away before Miles could ask what was going on.

After another round of chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, it was time to say goodbye. As Bass predicted, Charlie did not want to let go of her uncle Miles. She was in hysterics.

"No, don't leave me! Stay forever!"

"Charlie, honey, Uncle Miles has to go back to work now," Ben gently said, trying to pry Charlie off Miles's leg. Miles moved to pick her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling closer.

"Stay, stay," she turned her head to look towards Bass, "Don't go!" She reached her arms out towards Bass and he pulled her into his arms. He squeezed her tightly and spun around.

"Charlie, you don't want Uncle Miles and Bass to miss their flight back. Daddy needs to take them to the airport now. You'll see them again," Rachel tried to get Charlie to let go, but that only made her hold on to Bass tighter. He pushed her down but then she only just grabbed his legs. Miles scooped her up and handed her off to Rachel, but now she was kicking and screaming. Ben had already loaded the car up and was now just waiting for Miles and Bass to make their escape. Now that Ben was in the car, Bass caught the looks Rachel and Miles were giving each other and dashed out before he could catch them with any other looks.

Miles made his way out of the house shortly thereafter and as they drove along to the airport, Bass thought that this was certainly an adventurous Christmas that he would never forget. It may not have been the same as with his family, but the Mathesons were his family too and they'd create their own traditions.


End file.
